Shut out by his colleagues, a cocky young detective must tackle his first case on his own if he’s going to stop a headline-seeking killer before he can claim another victim.

“The French Connection meets Zodiac”

Based on a true story, The Crossroads brings you into the life of a hot-headed and idealistic New York City police detective as he fights through false leads and copycat criminals in his hunt for a violent attacker preying on the women of Queens in the mid-1980s. Formerly an undercover officer with little investigative experience, our protagonist struggles with his first case, finding himself at odds with the DA and homicide cops who stumble upon a convenient fall guy. He must battle department politics and his own temperamental nature if he’s going to find this killer before the deadline set by City Hall expires. A visceral crime thriller experience, The Crossroads puts you alongside this passionate crusader to experience his desperate search just as he does. Over the course of the investigation he’s joined by a desk-bound cop thirsty for action and one brave and observant witness. In a departure from similar stories, The Crossroads follows the parallel timeline of the dangerous and unhinged predator that lives a seemingly ordinary middle class life by day, while stalking the city’s streets by night.

Who is the writer?

The Crossroads is written by Christopher Sommella, a musician and songwriter who decided the demise of the music industry was a good time to detour into something less soul-crushing—the movie business.

Who is the main character?

Our hero is Victor Santelli, a cocky and temperamental—but honest and idealistic—young police detective. He’s a family man with a wife and two boys. He’s been in Queens almost his whole life. He is Queens— tough and durable, but also artistic; after all, he comes from a family of musicians. Growing up in the time and place he did, there were generally two paths for your life—and they were on either side of the law. Victor chose the academy and began to climb the NYPD ladder. A successful undercover assignment in the mob results in a promotion and his choice of command, bringing us to where we are at the beginning of this story. How will his short fuse and street-bred demeanor go over when he joins a unit of cops from the old guard?

What is The Crossroads?

The Crossroads is an original feature film screenplay based on the true story of a well-publicized murder investigation that was nearly swept under the rug in 1980s New York City.

What is it about?

The simple answer is that it’s about a relentless detective who hunts down a violent killer—but we’ve all seen that before. It’s really about choices—the choices we make to do right or do wrong when faced with grave circumstances. Throughout the script, the main characters are faced with choices that will affect the lives, and possibly deaths, of strangers. The heroes can give in to political pressure, or persevere and try to find the killer. The victims can live in fear, or face their demons head on. The killer can stop at any point and walk away, or he can continue on his dark path to attain the recognition he craves. They’re all at The Crossroads.

When and where does it take place?

The Crossroads takes place in the winter of 1985, primarily in Queens. It occurs during the transitional time between the violence of the 1970s, when the city really hit bottom, and the New York that we know today.

Why create a website for The Crossroads?

We put this site together to raise awareness of the script and help get it produced. We believe this is a story that should be told—the story of regular people who make the choice to do the right thing in the face of grave peril or bureaucratic complacence. The Crossroads is a blend of modern crime thriller and classic detective cinema—no gimmicks, no contrivances. It’s real, and there will always be a market for real.

How can I help?

We are so glad you asked. Share this site. Talk about it. Use pages from the script as placemats. Help us spread the word so we can put together the right team. If you know, or are, the perfect agent to represent this screenplay—contact us. If you’re a producer and want to bring this story to the big screen—contact us. If crowd-funding is the answer and you want to kick in a twenty, hit us up. Whatever it takes, we’re gonna do.